Kathmandu School of Law (KSL)’s winning streak of many years continued at the National Round of the 10th Henry Dunant Memorial Moot Court Competition held on 5 July 2014 in Kathmandu, Nepal. KSL, which has been winning the competition since was introduced in Nepal in 2005, emerged winner this year as well. Nepal Law Campus, Nepal’s oldest law institution, was the runner-up.

Alfredo Mallet, deputy head of delegation, ICRC Kathmandu, delivers his opening remarks at the event ©ICRC

Hasina Lamichhane, a mooter from Nepal Law Campus who stood second in the competition, said: “To participate in the moot court, one has to conduct extensive research and then to stand out in the competition, one needs to be a good speaker. So, I feel that preparing for moot court competitions helps law students gain academically.”

For the first time in the competition’s history in Nepal, four law institutions from Kathmandu Valley took part. The participating colleges were: Chakrabarti Law College, National Law College, Nepal Law Campus and Kathmandu School of Law. In a brief opening function attended by around 80 people — mostly students — Alfredo Mallet, the deputy head of the ICRC delegation, Kathmandu, welcomed such initiatives and reiterated the need to disseminate IHL among students and academics.

The competition was conducted in two rounds: preliminary and final. The participating teams went through two rigorous rounds in the preliminary session. The four teams were divided in two groups through a draw system and the winner of the prelims from each group made it to the finals. Experienced law practitioners and legal experts judged the competition. The students showcased brilliant arguments and advocacy skills during the oral rounds of the competition.

KSL also won the Best Memorial Award. Ms Swechhya Sangroula of KSL was adjudged Best Advocate while Mr Suraj Dhakal of National Law College was given the Best Researcher Award.

ICRC representatives along with students and teachers of the winning and runner-up teams ©ICRC

Dragana Kojic, head of delegation, ICRC, Kathmandu, distributed trophies and certificates to the winners and runners-up in the closing ceremony. Both the winner and the runner-up teams will represent Nepal in the Henry Dunant Regional Moot Court Competition scheduled in Teheran, Iran, in November 2014.

The Moot Court Competition, named after Henry Dunant, the co-founder of the ICRC and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, is the most popular competition on international humanitarian law among law students in South Asia.

 ICRC New Delhi